AI, Cybersecurity and the Culture of Growth — Bill Hopkinson of Red Squid

Bill Hopkinson returns to The Channel Zone Podcast for a conversation about the forces reshaping managed technology, sales and leadership. Now Director of Sales at Redsquid, Bill joins Mark Edwards to explore what AI actually means for businesses beyond the hype — from improving everyday productivity and customer QBRs to helping sales teams research, prepare, capture actions and maintain greater control of the sales cycle. They also discuss the challenge of creating a consistent, high-performing sales culture while bringing together businesses through acquisition. For Bill, consistency matters: consistent measurement, consistent messaging, empowering people to solve problems rather than simply identify them, and creating genuine employee buy-in. The conversation then turns to cybersecurity and the rapidly developing relationship between AI-powered attacks and AI-powered defence, before exploring Red Squid’s approach to sustainability, community involvement and employee ownership. Finally, Bill explains why recognition, incentive trips and a healthy dose of competitiveness still matter in sales — and why, when it comes to building great salespeople, skill can be taught, but will is much harder to manufacture.